R6 million in salaries paid to ghost workers in Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga department of education officials involved in ghost employee payments, which resulted in more than R6 million in irregular expenditure, must be arrested, say experts.

The payment scandal was revealed in a recent auditor-general’s (AG) report. The department’s annual report also confirmed that R6 408 775 in salaries were paid to non-existing employees in the previous financial year.

According to the report, the payments were made to former employees who had died and others no longer employed by the department.

Payments to ghost workers

“Some officials in the department failed to ensure the department’s financial management and internal control systems are carried out within their areas of responsibility and in line with Section 45(a) of the Public Finance Management Act.

“These officials failed to make sure human resources was notified timeously to stop salaries to employees that left the department or were deceased.

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“As a result, payments were made to employees who were not supposed to be paid. These overpayments were disclosed as part of the receivables in note 11 of the financial statements.

“The overpayments are likely to result in a material financial loss for the department if the money is not recovered. The accounting officer was notified of the irregularity on 29 September, 2022,” the document read.

Experts interviewed by Saturday Citizen yesterday said the department wanted the matter to look like a mistake when it was intentional corruption.

‘Intentional corruption’

Former standing committee on public accounts chair and member of parliament Themba Godi said: “Mpumalanga has a bad reputation of being very corrupt. This is not surprising.

“I call for criminal investigations into the recipients and the human resources officials responsible for the payment authorisations. The amount of R6.4 million in a year is a lot of money.

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“We have a lot of dilapidated schools and, high teacher-pupil ratios while money is stolen. This, I believe, is the tip of the iceberg, not only in that department but in many others.”

Political analyst Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast held the same view.

“This is not a mistake. It speaks to the culture of institutionalising corruption.

‘This is not a mistake’

“There should be serious consequences for those breaking the law. Investigating and releasing a report and taking no action will not assist in fighting corruption.”

Breakfast said that currently in SA there were many such reports, including by the Zondo commission, but nothing has been done to bring the culprits to book.

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He said those found guilty must be punished in a manner that would deter those who were planning similar crimes.

“Government officials know very well that when they commit crime nothing will happen to them. This is also teaching people on the ground that they can commit crime and get away with it.”

No consequences for officials

Collen Sedibe, a leader of the EFF in the province, said the crisis was caused by “late termination of deceased or transferred employees on the system after the salary run has been effected, or as a result of late submission of documents such as death certificates or transfer documents”.

Mpumalanga education spokesperson Jasper Zwane did not respond to questions.